Don’t Rub My Belly

Ok, let’s get it right out at the beginning, there is one similarity I totally have with my girl dog, we are both bitches. There I said it before you did. And that is where our likenesses end.

Tonight I came home from an event downtown and since Russ and I arrived in two cars I got home well before he did since he had to walk back to his office to retrieve his brief case. Carter is in Raleigh at her friend Lily’s play so I was the only human Shay had to greet. Because I was not Russ she had not rushed to the top of the stairs and stood on her hind legs shaking in excitement like she does when he comes home. Instead she waited for me to get all the way to my bedroom where she was laying on my bed before she lifted her head and gave me the “Wha’sup” nod.

Despite the lackluster greeting I sat down on the bed next to her and gave her a snuggle. That’s when she rolled over on her back with her four legs spayed in the air and gave me the “Rub my belly” look. I know that my rubbing her belly is the thing she loves most in the world, besides Russ. Russ’ mere existence is better to Shay than my rubbing her belly, but it is a close second.

I don’t think she is unusual in her love of having her belly rubbed. I stopped by my friend Christy’s house today to bring her some pink sparkle needlepoint thread. Her female King Charles Cavalier Spaniel Lucy jumped up on the sofa next to me and rolled over on her back in the rub-my-belly position just like Shay. Lucy was happy to stay next to me as long as I was rubbing her stomach.

This must be a purely canine gene trait because I can not imagine anything worse than having someone rub my stomach, not just rub it, even touch it. Even if I were young, and had totally flat and fit abs I cannot imagine wanting anyone to touch it, let alone rub it.

Since a female dog’s belly is not rubbed during the creation of puppies I don’t think there is any pleasure of that nature, so what is it? Why do our dogs love to get their belly’s rubbed so much? I am not going to venture further into that question instead just be happy that my happiness is not dependent on getting my belly rubbed. Quite the opposite – thank goodness no one is attempting to touch my belly!